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The present invention pertains generally to traction devices for footwear. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a cleat removably mountable on footwear for providing stability to a user while not causing damage to sporting facilities and improvements the cleat contacts during use of the cleat. The present invention is particularly, but not exclusively, useful in providing traction and stability during golfing while not causing damage to turf, fairways, putting greens, or facilities and equipment used in connection with golf.
Footwear employing naillike metal projections, protuberances of various composite materials, and similar extensions (collectively but not exclusively, xe2x80x9cspikesxe2x80x9d), are used extensively on athletic footwear for hiking, rock and mountain climbing, golf, American football, soccer, fly fishing, and other activities. One or more spikes may be installed on footwear to provide or enhance traction during use. Footwear equipped with spikes, however, may cause damage not only to athletic and sporting facilities, improvements, and playing surfaces, but also to other equipment used in association with athletic and sporting activities. For example, spikes used on footwear associated with the sport of golf cause unacceptable damage not only to the turf, fairways, and putting greens on which golf is played, but also to equipment and facilities associated with that sport. Conventional spikes used in connection with golf provide little traction on cart trails, board walks, club house floors, carts, and related facilities and equipment.
A problem to be solved is to provide a cleat that is easily mountable on and removable from footwear, that provides stability and traction during the sporting activity, while minimizing damage to facilities, equipment and surfaces used in connection with the footwear. Because of varying foot shapes, different footwear shapes, different weather and topographical conditions, and different forces applied to a cleat during use, a cleat may wear, deteriorate, and change shape (collectively, xe2x80x9cwearxe2x80x9d) differently than another cleat. Another problem to be solved, therefore, is to provide a cleat that may be readily and quickly replaced with a replacement cleat due to differing wear patterns after being mounted on footwear and used.
What is needed is a cleat that may be readily and relatively quickly mounted on and removed from footwear, a cleat that provides stability and traction during use, while causing minimal or no damage to the athletic facilities, playing surfaces and equipment associated with a sport such as golf, including turf, fairways, putting greens, and associated equipment and facilities associated with golf.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cleat removably mountable on footwear. Additionally, a cleat should be individually replaceable due to different wear patterns on the cleat during use. It is another object of the present invention to provide a removably mountable cleat that provides stability to a user during use. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a removably mountable cleat that minimizes or precludes damage to facilities on which the sport is conducted and to equipment and facilities used in connection with the sport. The removably mountable cleat also should be relatively quickly and easily mounted on and removed from footwear. Another object of the present invention is to provide a removably mountable cleat that is easy to use and to practice, and which is cost effective for its intended purposes.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of such a removably mountable cleat will become apparent to those skilled in the art when read in conjunction with the accompanying following detailed description, drawing figures, and appended claims.
A removably mountable cleat, according to the present invention, includes a plate. The plate may be formed in any geometric shape. Two or more alignment grooves are formed in the peripheral edge of the plate. In an embodiment of the plate having two alignment grooves, each groove is disposed substantially opposite the other groove, or 18xc2x0 apart. In an embodiment of the plate having three or more alignment grooves, each alignment groove is disposed substantially radially equidistant from every other alignment groove. An alignment groove allows a key to be placed against an alignment groove to remove a cleat from footwear. A cleat may be mounted on footwear using finger pressure or torsion; no tool is needed to mount a cleat on footwear.
The plate of the present invention also includes a first face and a second face. A shaft is provided with a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end of the shaft is connected substantially perpendicular to the first face of the plate. The shaft is connected to the plate substantially at the center of the plate. The proximal end of the shaft is connected to the plate, while threads are formed adjacent the distal end of the shaft. The threads adjacent the distal end of the shaft are engageable with threads provided in a receptacle in the footwear. The receptacle usually is in the ground contact plane of a heel or sole of the footwear.
A compressively yieldable elastomeric body is provided for the removably mountable cleat. The elastomeric body is engageable at least with the plate by inserting the plate and proximal end of the shaft into a mold for forming the elastomeric body. The elastomeric body is formed with an upper surface and a lower surface. A collar is peripherally disposed between the upper surface and the lower surface of the elastomeric body. In addition, during the molding process one or more substantially tubular lumens is formed in the elastomeric body. Each lumen has an anterior opening and a posterior opening. The posterior opening of each lumen is adjacent the lower surface of the body. The anterior opening of each lumen is adjacent to one or more alignment grooves in the plate. A key may be inserted through a lumen for contact with an alignment groove for removing the cleat from footwear.
The lower surface of the elastomeric body also is formed with one or more substantially concentric annular rings. In addition, a hemispherical chamber is formed within one of the concentric annular rings having the shortest diameter. The hemispherical chamber is aligned substantially concentric to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The concentric annular rings, and the hemispherical chamber, combine with the compressively yieldable elastomeric material of the body to provide traction and stability for the user, while causing minimal or no damage to turf, fairways, putting greens, facilities and associated equipment that the cleat may contact.
The foregoing has outlined broadly the more important features of the invention to better understand the detailed description which follows, and to better understand the contribution of the present invention to the art. Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in application to the details of construction, and to the arrangements of the components, provided in the following description or drawing figures. The invention is capable of other embodiments, and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, the phraseology and terminology employed in this disclosure are for purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.
As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the conception on which this disclosure is based may be readily used as a basis for designing other structures, cooperations of structure, methods, and systems for carrying out the purposes of the present invention. The claims, therefore, include such equivalent constructions to the extent the equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The abstract associated with this disclosure is intended neither to define the invention, which is measured by the claims, nor intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention.